usir | [Open]

[Open]

Character(s): Alucard + Open
Status: Open
Location(s): Krimnos, the old homestead in the mountains
Date(s) June 1 to 17 (pre-Sirens)
About: General catch all log
Warnings: To be added

KRIMNOS
[The start of the month sees Alucard in Krimnos proper again, well aware that traveling between the city and home may grow dicey because of the rains. It is for that reason that he spends the first two days of June there, stocking up not only on staples for home, but taking advantage of whatever fresher options the market now offers (there is asparagus and peas and the first delicate herbs of summer, strawberries starting to trickle in). They'll endure long enough to make it home. Some will be pickled (that's the asparagus), other things inhaled as quickly as possible.

When not walking through the market laden with goods, dressed in his version of comfortable summer clothing (the other two don't know he bought a hat), Alucard's presence is among the inventors. He knows that Christine's book is still in progress, but there are other things he has heard tell of lately and this may be the only time he is in Krimnos for the month.

ON THE ROAD
[On the road between home and Krimnos, Alucard is all too keenly aware of the world around him. There is, of course, the little hamlet that marks the half-way point between home and the city, and he rests there between his trips. Tonight, there is only light rain, the kind that allows for establishments to still have their patios open, so long as there is a spell to ward off the rain.

He's sat towards the edge of one such spot, eyes focused skyward.]

This won't hold for every long.

HOME
[Home is still a crumbling castle, whose remaining spire still reaches up towards the heavens. It is aged, but there is now more than the lock on the door that shows that this place is lived in now. While rain thunders down, there are now lights in the castle's windows, and within, a dhampir, a goliath, and a tiefling.

It is a week into the rainy season that the dhampir stands at the front door of the castle, looking at the rising waters. There are great puddles along the path that leads up to the castle itself, and they're growing a little too steadily.]

Mm. I don't know how well the castle's drain system works these days.

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[ One of the most impressive things about the castle in its prime had been the vast stores of knowledge contained inside. Time had taken its toll, however, both on the structure and everything that had once been housed within, leaving the castle as little more than a dilapidated carapace of its former self, broken down very gradually by wind and water and plants crawling over and around the structure.

It had been looted over the years, too, as one might expect. People took their chances when they could, and the castle surely was too great an opportunity to pass up for many. All the books and implements of science and medicine had likely been gone for decades at this point.

They were working on rebuilding now, of course, but it was slow going with limited resources. Their most recent visit to Krimnos had yielded a handful of volumes about magic, science, and history. Sypha sits inside by the fire leafing through a book of spells, Mistral perched above her on the back of the chair. She looks up at Alucard where he sits nearby and smiles, holding up the page for him to see a complex glyph printed in blue ink. ]

This might be useful. It is a sigil of warding. If we carved this into a few of the trees that surround the castle we could help keep away ill-intentioned visitors.

[The hardest part of making the castle home again had been cleaning out the rooms back at the end of the winter. Trevor had done much of it, letting Alucard focus on making the important rooms functional: the kitchen and the bathroom, mainly. From there it had been all the important little things that made it home, like furniture and books and all the creature comforts that it had once provided.

Going to the book shops of Krimnos with Sypha felt like another step towards reclaiming the castle. There was enough gold from their assistance on the Einjar mission that they could buy a decent number of books, and Ellis had recently run off only to return with one of Dracula's journals. (He never figured out where it came from, but it was here where it belonged.)

Now, Alucard sits on the floor, carefully cataloging each book into a large ledger, noting the title, author, date published, subject matter, date purchased, and expense. They'll have more books. He'll index everything properly when there are more books, but for now they need to at least have this much written down.

Ellis is off with Dog somewhere, meaning Alucard is along on the floor. His tilts his head up, then leans in to examine the image more carefully.]

Could we carve it into the stone itself too?

I could do that. On the wood of the doors, too. I think we can fine-tune the symbols to adjust for things we don't want and then link them up. One to ward against thieves, one against murderers, one against solicitors... that sort of thing.

[ She has to smirk at her little joke, and Mistral even chirps in what seems like amusement. Taking a ribbon from a pile she gathered for just this reason, she lays it between the pages and continues to peruse the pages. ] How goes your work?

That would work nicely. Are there weather related wards in there as well, or anything about structural damages? I don't know how well the roof will hold this rainy season.

[It's already started, after all, and there's much more rain left to endure. Right now though, there's a quiet comfort to the constant sound, enhanced by the fire's flickering glow.]

Easy, but that's because there's only a few things right now. I've forgotten what it is like to work with such a small collection.

[He looks over at the pile of books, and then picks one up. It's not terribly large, but the binding is older than the others - a handsome calf skin dyed a beautiful green, gold embellishments on the front with patterns that resemble the old carpets of the castle.]

Ellis found something interesting the other day.

[He offers the book to Sypha.]

Even if there aren't wards specifically for weather, I'm sure something in here can be adjusted to serve the purpose of reinforcing the structure. [ She's clearly already thinking of various ways this can be accomplished, making mental notes of ways that different spells can be altered or even combined to speed along the refurbishment of the castle.

When he passes her the tome in his hand, Sypha's face lights up with curiosity. Setting aside her spellbook, she takes the journal very carefully and examines it. ]

I... I remember this! I only saw a quick glimpse of the spine when we were here before, but this is from the original library, isn't it? Where on earth did she find it?

I'd feel safer being able to do that. If we're away and something collapses, I can't imagine...

[There's nothing good there. Alucard shoves the thought aside, focusing on the actual point of showing Sypha the book.]

I don't know, she just approached me with it one day. That binding was used for my father's personal journals, it was a way of organizing them.

[Alucard opens up the cover of the journal, the leather flaking a little as he does so.]

I have to perform a little bit of preservation work on it, but it's stable otherwise. But do you see the ex libris?

[On the opposite side of a cover is a bookplate, bearing the words EX LIBRIS DRACULA coupled with thin magical symbols underneath, all arranged in the shape of the castle itself. It's magic meant to prevent anyone but Dracula from opening the book, but it's potency is long since dead along with the spellcaster.]

Don't worry, Alucard. Between the two of us, I'm certain we can come up with something.

[ There's no use in fretting over things that haven't happened yet, anyway. Best thing to do is prepare for the worst and hope it doesn't come to pass. (Not that they've had that sort of luck, but that's what the preparation is for, after all.)

She looks over the page as he opens it and hums with interest at the bookplate. Extending her hand, she very gently brushes over the symbols with her fingertips. ]

We could make something similar to this. Something to protect our new collection and help them find their way home if they get lost. Actually... did all the books in Dracula's library have this symbol in them?

Most of them. Certaintly anything my hand touched, but I know there were things my father acquired that were not entered on our inventories and he held in spaces that I was not allowed into.

[Those were books of darkest magic, the kind that only Dracula need know about. The kind that Dracula used to let loose his terror upon the land following Lisa's death, and Alucard shudders even now to think of it.

He shoves the thought aside almost violently.]

A homing spell was what I had in mind, but the skillset required to make one is your wheelhouse, not mine.

[ Sypha internally balks at the thought of magic so terrifying that even Alucard was not allowed to see it. However, she imagines that a man as cautious as Dracula had been would have taken extra precautions with those volumes, so she wouldn't be surprised if the sigil was present on them as well.

Her tail begins to curl excitedly, swishing back and forth as an idea forms in her head. Alucard's comment echoes what she's thinking, though he hadn't intended it to. ]

A homing spell! Exactly! Now that we have this journal, we might be able to use the sigil here to locate the other books! We could rebuild the library by finding the books that used to be part of it!

[It was the kind of magic he was best off never seeing. Alucard knew what his father was capable of, and had grown up well aware of that. There had been a gap between knowing about it in theory and then seeing it in practice. Yet another gap was the books so dark that the rules of collections management did not apply.

Alucard smiles at the sudden uptick of expression from Sypha's tail.]

Perhaps. Or maybe we should focus on creating our own for the things that enter our collection next. One that includes such a homing spell, and perhaps a new ex libris.

[ If those books are so bad, then maybe those are the ones they need to work hardest to find--not to keep them but to destroy them, ensuring the magic can never be used again.

Those are thoughts and ideas that can be stowed for later. Sypha nods at Alucard's redirection. ]

Yes, of course. I was getting a bit ahead of myself. It would be fairly simple to make a homing spell, but I'm sure there are several ways to go about it. There are other ways we can enchant the books as well. I could concoct a spell to make the words disappear if an unwanted person were to read them, or a spell to make the books too heavy to lift. I could probably make them waterproof.

[Alucard closes the journal and places it down for the time being. Showing Sypha the book was all he needed, and it seems that her mind has taken off running with the concept.]

I like the idea of waterproofing, but making words disappear, that's worth investing in.

[Especially for the journal.]

Which part is the one we have to begin with?

Probably the best place to start would be some protective ward that other spells can be woven into, but of course the spellwork becomes more complicated with each element you add, and I imagine some of them might not work as well together as others. Maybe we should get some spare book to be a test subject for us, or even just some sheaves of paper to start.

[ Her finger traces a circle in the air, and a thin ring of ice appears. She adds runes and smaller circles, triangles, spirals and lines. ]

This could be a start.

I have some blank journals that would fit the bill.

[They'll be good to start with, bound in fine leather and attractive for his own notes and work. The dhampir falls silent as Sypha works her magic, smiling faintly at the sight of it.

It's also nice to not be on the receiving end of that ice magic, what after Einjar.]

The layout of the spell would form the book plate's design as well, yes?

Yes, or perhaps under the book plate. Maybe there is more than one way to incorporate it so it would be harder to remove.

[ The ice turns to water and then to steam. She'll have to tinker with it a little bit, but a blank journal would work, so she nods and considers what else she could work into it to. ]

Fireproofing the books would also be a good idea. I'm not sure how close I can make them to indestructible, but I can certainly try.

Hm. Let's begin with placing a spell under the bookplate, that means the plate itself cannot be removed. Likewise, I think that might be the correct layer for fire and waterproof damage, as it is on the interior cover of the book itself, rather than a piece of paper that has been afixed to that interior.

[Alucard rubs his chin, considering.]

Then the plate places all the other elements in, and ensures the book's tracking and return. Does that sound like the correct approach to layering?

I think that sounds like a good start. We could even use the back cover as well to keep from putting too much into one spell and overcomplicating it.

[ Of course, magic is all about the little complications--the twists and turns, the pieces of the puzzle that make it so fascinating. ]

But yes, I think that would work. We could even lock the homing spell to some matching glyph that we can move if we need to, rather than strictly to the castle itself. That way, the books can still find us even when we aren't here.

Hm. I suppose an end plate might be a worthy candidate for obscuring that back over spell work.

[This seems like a solid enough start, and Alucard nods in quiet agreement.]

That seems wise, although perhaps having two lines of instruction for the book would be better? One for if we are living, such as we are, and the other if we cannot be found.

Good ideas, both.

[ Although she knows what he actually means by 'cannot be found,' and it isn't just a pleasant trip away from the castle. The thought of dying again isn't exactly a pleasant one, but even less appealing is the thought of her boys dying. It prompts her to move next to Alucard, hip to hip with him. ]

But let's try not to be away for too long. Yes?

Which leaves us with the question of what the ex libris design should look like. I think we're beyond the castle's silhouette.

[It's easier to think about graphic design than dwell on the possibility of what might come to pass if whatever terrible resurrection spell animates them runs out. Or if it only runs out on one of them, because that? That is a nightmare.

Easier then to lean into sentiment and affection as Sypha moves to sit beside him. She's so warm, and Alucard leans just a little so that his head brushes against her. (And her horns.)]

I know. We don't owe the world anything now.

[It was a discussion he and Trevor had had well before Sypha's revival, what do we owe? The conclusion had been nothing, we gave our lives. We need only owe to those we think are worthy of it.]

Maybe we could incorporate elements to represent the three of us. Silhouettes of our animas, perhaps? Done in some stylistic way, of course.

[ When he leans in, Sypha mirrors his action, bringing them together for a light nuzzle. In the scant time since they've made their relationship into an official one, she's quickly come to realize how much Alucard needs affectionate touch, even if he wouldn't say so himself. ]

We certainly gave enough before. [ She agrees on that front. They'd nearly died fighting Dracula and had been rewarded with death anyway. Their societal dues had been paid. ] But we needn't think on that now.

I could try a few things out and let you pick what you like and what works best with the spells.

[Alucard grew up with parents who were nothing if not openly and overly affectionate with each other. Some of his own desire for closeness is built out of need, along with an awareness that he expresses himself best through actions, but also simply modeling what he grew up understanding the core of a relationship to be.

It's not a surprise then that he presses a kiss to the tip of her nearest horn.]

You're right on both accounts.

[ It's a well-known fact that tieflings have sensitive horns--she shivers just a bit at the kiss as it sends a pleasant tingle down her spine. Lifting her head, she kisses his cheek in turn, then his lips. ]

Perhaps we should table the discussion of the ex libris for now... Adrian.

[There's a soft, besotted smile that comes with that first kiss, and it stays there as Sypha puts the second on his lips. He doesn't blush, not this time, but he reaches his hand over, seeking hers.]

Perhaps.

[His eyes go over to the window in the corner, where the rain continues to come pouring down.]

It is rather atmospheric today, isn't it?

It is. I enjoy the sound of the rain, don't you?

[ Her eyes follow his to the window, and her head cants slightly. ]

We have some cushions, don't we?

We do, although I suspect some of them may be covered in wolf hair.

[Alucard pauses, then clocks onto what Sypha's really suggesting.]

Let me go get them.

[ She grins and stands, pulling him to his feet so he can go fetch the cushions while she goes to make sure the window nook is free of any dust or cobwebs, fur or feathers.

It's properly tidy by the time he gets back, so she helps him arrange the pillows, her tail swishing to and fro. Mistral vacates the room with a chirp, having learned that there are times when the people want to be alone. ]

This is cozy, isn't it?

[The cushions are, in fact, covered with wolf hair. Alucard's brushed it off as very best he can, and when he returns it's a small wonder how perfect the whole place seems. Window nook with cushions. Fire in the fireplace, because the rain comes with a chill today. The constant sound of rain over the castle, and the safety that being inside offers.

He smiles as they arrange things together, and once it's done, all he can do is settle down first so Sypha can use him as a chair.]

It's almost stereotypically cozy.

There is nothing wrong with that sort of stereotype, at least.

[ Once he's comfortable, Sypha climbs in after him and curls up against his chest, careful of her horns as she always is. The rain patters against the glass panes of the window, making a soft, lulling noise.

Her hand seeks his out, and their fingers twine together. She kisses him again, this time at the corner of his jaw. ]

Besides, we deserve a bit of comfort.

[All Rocket has cared about since Dany and Jon came back from Einjar is seeing that airship in person. He saw it on paper, sure, but while the plans were detailed he needed to see it in person to really understand it. The problem was they weren't keeping it at the usual docks and all Rocket had found when he arrived was a lot of confused and frightened people.

It's a broad assumption to make, thinking the ship might be somewhere near Tinkertown, but even if it isn't there might be some people around who would know where he could find it. Surely they would have to know where the new ship was hiding.

He isn't quiet or subtle about his questions around the home of Krimnos' most 'creative' inventors, asking around about who built the airships, where the new one was, and what it was going to be used for now. Eventually one of the inventors, a grumpy looking goblin, starts arguing with Rocket insisting he is disrupting their work.]

I wouldn't need to be disrupting anything if one of you gave me a half straight answer. [Rocket's tone makes his retort come out sounding a bit like a disappointed father talking to a kid, and the effect is entirely intentional and gets the bristling, irritated response he was hoping for. Hoping it will make Rocket leave, the goblin points him in the right direction, exasperatedly asking him to go bother someone else, and Rocket smirks and turns to do exactly that.]

You lot always make it harder on yourselves than necessary. [He might have been one to talk but there were too many planners in Tinkertown and Rocket wasn't that type of inventor. He dove in where they drew up plans, and experimented where they theorized. He had too much gremlin in his blood. Too busy looking back at the goblin, Rocket smacks straight into Alucard's leg, the sudden stop sending Rocket's sack and its contents spilling over the path. Somewhere behind him the goblin starts snickering and Rocket throws him a scowl before grabbing at his things and stuffing them back in. His copied scroll with the airship plans skips across the stones away from his grabbing hand, pushed by the mountain breeze.]

You do understand the concept of classified information, do you not?

[Alucard's hearing is perhaps a little too sharp, because his words are said right before Rocket decides to walk into his leg. He had been speaking with one of the inventors about something completely different based on some weird theory Alucard half remembers from one of his father's notebooks. He's well aware that he could be quite wrong about what he's remembering, but he's trying, by the gods.

So the comment he makes is casual, but it isn't without a tone that hedges a little too close to sounding like dad. That's not always the best thing in the world, but given what he's heard so far, it is probably warrented.]

One simply does not waltz into a new space, demand information, and expect an excited and willing response.

Sure I do. It's need to know, and I need to know. [Rocket's grin is sharp before he even looks up at Alucard, seemingly unbothered by both the tone and the remark.]

So it's a good thing I ain't 'one'. [Excited might not be the response Rocket expects but forthcoming certainly was. That airship had his name all over it. Well, okay, maybe not that exact airship but an airship very much like it that might one day be in production soon, with a few adjustments.

He pounces for the skittering scroll, scooping it up before the wind can carry it off, and tucks it back under his arm. Despite the fact that the 3'5" raccoon has to incline his head back to stare up at Alucard he has all the posture and attitude of an orc at least 2 times his size.]

You know something about it?

I do not.

[Alucard's expression dosn't change with the lie, and he keeps gaze downward on Rocket. There's nothing that Alucard's impressed with at the moment, although he doesn't really get to say anything about taking the subtle approach. He, Trevor, and Sypha are not good exemplars of that concept.]

But I do know that it's easier to ask about several little things that are innoucous, that way you understand the big thing without anyone knowing you have this far more classified information.

[That much is a principle Alucard applied to collecting and curating over the years. Buy a few small pieces, then land the big, important thing.]

It gets more results, I've found.

That doesn't follow if I want answers quickly. You can't hide a whole airship even in a city this size, not for long. Not without employing some shady techniques that border the edge of classified information and mental voodoo. [He knows all about those oaths and the secret mission to Einjar, now that it's over and done with. He had asked a barrage of questions until he could get answers from a few people who had gone and seen the nightmares for themselves.

While he's more than a little miffed to have missed out on the ship, he has no regrets about missing out on the rest.]

People ain't great at subtlety. It goes right over their big heads. [He counters, tucking away his scroll and squinting at Alucard. What was this guy getting at with his lecture? He wanted Rocket to play dumb?]

If you dance around the issue then someone else'll come along and get all that information first. [Sure maybe Alucard applied his principles to old stuff he collected and things that weren't going anywhere too fast, but Rocket was a bounty hunter. If he wasn't insistent and demanding someone else would get the intel first and then he'd be out his money.] And then you're out your time and your prize.

[While they talk, the man Rocket had been bothering has packed up and taken off and when Rocket notices he gives a long, frustrated sigh and tucks the scroll away before looking Alucard up and down again.] Do you know where the black market is today?

[Rocket hasn't been to Krimnos in a while and it tends to move. Worst case scenario Alucard is one of Krimnos' knights. Rocket's pretty sure he can outrun him, and at the very least he knows plenty of ways to slip away during a chase. He has always been blunt and only bothered being 'coy' about things when he was worried his target might catch wind Rocket was on the scent and take off again.]

Or the good blacksmith. If this whole business is a wild unicorn hunt I might as well stock up on some supplies for my own projects. [If it wasn't already wildly obvious Rocket wasn't shy of wearing his intentions on his arm fur, his highly modified crossbow and the variety of goblin tools and explosives strapped to his belt do it for him.]

Magic can do quite a bit these days. [Alucard pauses for a moment, then consides the simple fact that that indeed requires quite a bit of magic. So there's one other solution involved, in theory, and that one is a little more straight forward.] Perhaps it isn't stored within the city limits at all.

[Surely there must be hangers and the like where additional airships are held, be it for testing, scrap, or like purposes. It would be far stranger if there wasn't such a space, and it is with that thought well settled that Alucard is happy to move away from the airships entirely.]

Going over their heads is rather the point. [But point and goal are two different things, and whatever the trade this gentleman (gentleracoon?) is involved in, speed is the priority above all else. The word prize hammers that much home.] But, as you like. You'll only run into more walls.

[Alucard is also pretty sure that if there's any Grand Theft Airship in the near future, the culprit is standing right in front of him.

There isn't an eye batted at the words black market, only a low noise that questions if Rocket is even allowed into such events, given that he's less subtle than the Belmont. (An achievement, to be certain.)]

While I can't say that I know what will be on offer today, I can say that I know the location. Tell me, do you always just go straight at a thing?

[Given that Rocket's walking around with actual explosives visible on his person, Alucard has suspicions. The question is mostly for him to determine if he wants to deal with such an escort into a place where he has marked interests. He's heard rumours of books with his father's ex libris. If that's true, then they need to be returned to the appropriate hands.]

Edited 2019-06-05 23:25 (UTC)

[Much as he might be acting like it, Rocket isn't an idiot. He squints at Alucard, considering his response a moment before offering him a sharp smile.]

Are you asking if I know how to be sly? [There's a raccoon joke in there somewhere that Rocket is accustomed to, and he momentarily and very poorly feigns offense.] You want me to be dishonest?

[They can disagree on methods and results all day but if Alucard wants him to skirt the edges he can shut off the gung-ho rough and in-your-face methods for a while. His face turns serious and he tucks everything away, straightening his weapon and quiver and sizing Alucard up.]

I'm only to the point when I know I can still find my way to what I want if it doesn't pan out. [His whole aggressive demeanor has changed, the rowdy raccoon's posture and voice replaced with crossed arms, and a slower, more serious cadence.] When you're my size not being noticed is the easy part.

Not sly. Subtle. [The possibility of a raccoon joke had in fact gone right over Alucard's head, as his concern was very much on the present and ensuring that there would be no particular problems simply getting to the market.

He's also one of the last people to be questioning one's subtle credentials, given both himself and the company he keeps, but that is not the focus right now. The focus is on Rocket's demeanor, and the sudden shift seems to all but pacify the dhampir's concern.

There's a nod of understanding, and Alucard gestures to his right, indicating that the first steps towards the market's current location is that way.]

I see. And understand, there are always advantages when you're overlooked and underestimated. But you don't need me to state the obvious.

[That's as good a follow me as Alucard's going to voice, and he turns on his heel to start walking.]

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